Shaking off Marte drama, the Diamondbacks earn 40th comeback win to stay in playoff race

Phoenix (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have faced adversity in the past ten days, including a pitching injury and the absence of a key player during a playoff race. Rookie Ryan Waldschmidt turned the tide on Tuesday night, hitting a two-run, game-winning home run to defeat the Chicago Cubs 5-4. This victory marked the Diamondbacks' 40th comeback win of the season, leading the league in this category. The team trailed 4-0 after seven innings before scoring three runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth.

Manager Torey Lovullo praised the team's determination, stating, "They have the mentality that they re just a bunch of dogs and they re not going to stop. They re going to keep getting after it every single day and that s just ingrained in them. They have a great makeup." Lovullo added, "This group is pretty darn special. I legitimately think this group loves each other."

The Diamondbacks (70-63) fell to the San Diego Padres 1-0 on Tuesday. With this win, the Diamondbacks moved one game behind the Padres for the final National League wild-card spot. The Padres had earlier lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Waldschmidt has hit two walk-off home runs for the Diamondbacks this season, both of which highlight the team's resilience. Rookie Waldschmidt remarked, "It s pretty cool, but it says a lot about the team, not just me. I just am the one who has gotten the opportunity to do it in these moments. I just think it says a lot about all of us. We re pretty resilient, we re never out of game."

The Diamondbacks have overcome some rough patches in recent weeks. In a separate incident, three-time All-Star Ketel Marte left the team due to a mysterious absence before a game in Boston, leading to a series of headlines. Marte was placed on the restricted list, then the injured list, with hopes that he would return for the team's series against the Philadelphia Phillies starting August 31.

Additionally, starting pitcher Michael Soroka returned to the injured list with a sore arm. Despite these challenges, the team's resilience has evoked memories of the 2023 season, when the Diamondbacks narrowly qualified for the playoffs with an 84-78 record and went on to reach the World Series. Lovullo concluded, "We re going to go out there and fight."